Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-11-17

sThere goes one, now! Where's Jour
white horse?"
Spy golly, he comes!'' and the crowd
looked up the street, laughed, seemed sat
isfed and retired again into the shop.
At another point she was gliding by a
drug store when three men left the soda
fountain in response to a shout from a
cane twirler on the pavement.
'sHello, boys, here is a red headed girl!
but don't see white horse"
"There comes white mule" said one
of the soda slipping trio, as his delicate
bamboo stick was turned trward horse
car team that just then logged into sight
from the shade of a corner building.
Every where down town Mamie heard
nothing but similar expressions. Every
body seemed to be on the lookout, first
a red headed girl and then for a white
horse. aHere she comes" and ssThere he
goes' rang in her ears until her tympan
um was sore from the vibrations. Morti-
fed and miserable, she started for home.
Stopping an open car she climbed into
an end seat But no sooner was she
seated than she heard a CANDY young
gentleman behind her remark:
"By George, Joe, if we havn't got red
headed girl aboard and team of white
horses pulling the car"
You may be sure that Mamie narrated
her adventures TO Redmund when he
called that plight. But Redmund was a
sensible sort of fellow, and he merely
advised her to go ahead making her prep
arations for the wedding and pay no at
tention to the white horse and the sim
pletons who were having fun with it. He
explained that it wss the revival of an old
| ont he
and that every time person saw p red
headed woman he would be certain to
fdd white horse in the immediate vi
cinity. Redmund laughed at her per-
vousness and excitement, and as he
kissed her good night he also pressed his
limpid mustache against the high tenn
peratUre of her led hot bang and said
he would not have. her with any other
hair than that which she now wore.
Of course this comforted Mamie, but
she couldn't forget the white horse-or
the white mule either. When she was
alone she sat at her little ebony desk in
the southeast corner of her boudoir, and
let the occurrences of the day float In
upon her dreaming senses for a while,
and then, in a paroxysm of petulancy
and anger, she allowed few tears to
ebullish and course down the freckled
currents of her check.
| She wiped her eyes, walked up and
down the room once and then took seat
in the lambert moonlight at front
window. Again the incidents of the day
crowded in upon her. An intermlnable
procession of white horses and snowy
mules lodged in and out among the
thousand thoughts that blossomed in her
brain. The pendulous swing of some
giant voice seemed to keep up an inces-
saut "Here she comes" and "There he
goesn within her hearing. Then a field
of nodding red hair lit the horizon of her
vision; then came a dashing cavalcade
of white horses, hundreds of pranclng
mules, and between and upon and around
| and beneath them were tossing red heads
and the painful vibration of that vOlum
| nous voice, that never changed its mono
tone and only said, ''Here she comes"
and 'There he goes" After this came
vacancy and a delicious sense OF com
pIete rest.
Mamie Navarro slept.
The morning bloomed and brought her
new cares and thoughts. She had her
cards of invitation TO send out and her
trousseau to put in shape, with a hum
dred other things that kept her fingers
and brains busy until that eventful day
of the wedding. Redmund had called
around each night and offered suggestion
| as he thought proper and within the lines
of his duty. Nothing occurred to call a
halt in the arrangements and on the even
ing of Sept. % the happy couple stood
hand IN hand on the door sill, as full, Of
the rich content of rapt hearts as any
two human beings ever were since the
world began.
There were four bridesmaids and
groomsmen and the church was in gala
dress for the nupt1als. 1t is not neces-
sary TO describe Nannie's toilet, which
was up to the latest demands of fashion.
Nor is it worth the time or space to de-
vote paragraph to Redmund to say how
handsome and manly he was as he led bis
beautiful bride to the altar. Friends who
crowded the church were heard to say
that Mamie was lovely and the gentlemen
audibly remarked that Redmund didn't
seem bit frightened.
The clergy man tied the knot in the or
thodox style. Redmund placed the band
Of gold on Nannie's finger and the priest
gave them both his blessing. Then the
organ sent forth its sonorouS notes IN a
iovial march and the sound of wedding
bells stole through the music. The
bridal party turned to go. Mamie took
her Redmund's arm-now her own Red
mund forever-and they started down the
aisle.
Suddenly there was violent clang, as
if somebody had rudely tangled the we'd
ding bells. Then there was an awful
voice:
ssHere she comes!' said at one moment,
and ''There he goes!" at the next.
The fair bride trembled.
'sHere she comesi''
"There he goes!"
The terrible words chilled her heart.
She turned to clutch Redmunds hand,
but no hand was there. She held a horses
hoof. BY her side, in Redmund's stead,
was a white horse. He stood on his hiud
legs. With the swiftness of fright she
looked around. All about her were white
horses standing on their hind legs and
huge red heads floating in the air.
Summon1ng all the strength she had
and crowding it into her two lungs she
emmitted frighttul shrek and SINK in